Dryer for piece goods



J. 24, 1955 H. vrrs 2331336 DRYER FOR PIECE GOODS Filed May 13, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR,

H/A M42 1/03, BY

HIS 4650/73.

Jan. 24, W56 H. VITS DRYER FOR PIECE GOODS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 13, 1952 Jan. 24, 3956 H. VITS DRYER FOR PIECE GOODS 4 Sheets-Sheetv 3 Filed y 13, 1952 INVENTOR, Hum/2e v/rs, BY

Jan. 2 3, 1956 H. vn's DRYER FOR PIECE GOODS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 13, 1952 INVENTOR, MAM/)2 u/rs,

United States Patcntfo DRYER FOR PIECE GOODS Hilmar Vits, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignor to Vits- Elektro G. in. b. H., Dusseldorf, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application May 13, 1952, Serial No. 287,485 Claims priority, application Germany May 15, 1951 3 Claims. (Cl. 34 -158) The invention relates to dryers and relates more particularly to dryers for use in connection with suspended unrolled sheet materials, such as fabric or the like.

The invention has among its objects to provide a dryer of the type referred to that that requires a minimum of space and which includes at least one blower accelerating air parallel of its axis of rotation.

Dryers built heretofore, for piece goods, have been characterized by a low efiiciency due to extremely high losses with the blow chamber. Accordingly, the instant invention aims to improve the efficiency.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, one embodiment of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a schematic sectional view of a dryer in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the duct structures for the blower;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, the right hand side taken along line 3A3A, and the left hand side along line 3B3B, of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary large scale sectional view of the nozzle detail;

Fig. 6 is a schematic fragmentary, in perspective, showing the nozzle distribution; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view illustrating the nozzle distribution on the cloth suspended adjacent thereto.

In carrying the invention into effect in one of the embodiments which has been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings and for description in this specification, and referring now particularly to Figs. 14 there is provided a housing structure generally indicated at 11 through which passes the material 12 suspended between a take-0d roller 13 and a take-up roller 14. The wall 16 of the housing 11 has two registering elongated slots 17 through which passes the material 12.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the piece of material 12 is guided through the housing 11 by means of suspension devices 18 that are guided on opposite supporting tracks 19, whereby the suspension devices 18 hold the sides of the piece 12 and guide it on its path through the housing 11 between the openings 17 thereto, said housing structure having two trumpet-shaped walls forming an intake duct for the blower.

Above the piece 12 there is mounted in the housing an upper blower, generally indicated at 21, and below the piece 12 there is mounted in the housing a lower blower generally designated 22. Both blowers 21 and 22 are axially aligned, and blow air towards the piece 12.

The blowers 21, 22 are arranged symmetrically and juxtaposed on opposite sides of the piece 12. The upper is eflicient and reliable and ice blower 21, which is in all respects symmetrical and similar to the lower blower 22, and therefore carries the same reference designations, is so arranged that it is mounted in the wall of the housing 16. It comprises an electrically energizable motor 24 that may protrude from the housing 16, and which is supported on a lower casing 26. A shaft 27 is driven by the motor 24 and carries on its free end a fan 28 that is rotatable with the shaft 27. The fan 28 revolves in the narrowest annular portion of a duct 29 that expands in a direction towards the piece 12 forming a blower portion 31 for downstream blowing of air, and expands in a direction away from the piece 12 forming an annular intake portion 32 for air intake. In said intake portion 32 there is secured in the duct 29, immediately upstream of the fan 28, a guide 33 having guiding blades 34, as best shown in Fig. 4, and these guiding blades 34 are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft 27.

The entire duct 28 is so arranged as to promote the smooth flowing of air, free from turbulences, and the guide 33 has the primary function of restraining spinning of the air stream as it flows through the duct 28.

in said blower portion 31 of the duct 28, there are arranged curved annular distributor blades 36 for dividing the air stream into zones throughout the length of the blow portion 31 across the width of the piece 12, so that the piece 12 throughout its width will receive air.

As best shown in Fig. 2, and on the right hand side of Fig. 3, the blow portion comprises elongated nozzles 37 that extend throughout the length of the portion 31 across the width of the piece 12. Air blown by the fan 28 will be pressed through the nozzles 37 towards the piece 12.

from each other, in the direction of travel of the piece 12 by hollow spaces 38, as best shown in Fig. 2 and in the left side of Fig. 3. These hollow spaces have inner inclined end surfaces 39 that serve to direct the flow of air from the opposite blower towards the outside. The air stream being thus deflected by the surfaces 39 will pass adjacent heating elements 41 prior to take-in into the intake portion 32 of the blower.

Each nozzle 37, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided with a curve guiding blade 42 to promote the entrance of air to the inner end of the nozzle. The convex part of the blade 42 serves to restrain the occurence of eddies.

Near the exit end of the nozzle passage, the nozzles 37 are provided with constrictions 44 to reduce the crosssectional area to one-half, or less, of the area of the nozzle interior.

Preferably, each nozzle 37 is sub-divided throughout its length, for instance by means of partitions 46, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6. Alternate of these nozzle openings may be offset against each other for instance as shown in Fig. 7. The area that is uncovered by the partitions 46 in each nozzle, preferably which constitutes the total area of all the nozzle openings is from one-third to one-half of the total nozzle exit crosssection. The individual nozzle openings preferably have each a length not exceeding four times the width of the nozzle slot.

The distance a between adjacent nozzles should be kept within a predetermined value, so as to cover the entire area of the piece 12, as shown in Fig. 6. The distance c between adjacent nozzle openings separated by a partition 46, may be equal to the distance b of the nozzle terminals from the piece 12.

The higher drying efiiciency of the instant dryer appears to reside therein that air streams are applied over the entire width of the piece 12, striking the piece at right angles so that the layer of moisture adjacent the piece is dealt with thoroughly. Excess moisture, evaporated ,3 through the dryer action, may be discharged from the housing in any well-known suitable manner.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the novel principles of the invention disclosed herein in connectionwith specific exemplifications thereof will suggest various other modifications and applications of the same. It is accordingly desired that in construing the breadth of the appended claims they shall not be limited to the specific exemplifications of the invention described herein.

Having thus described the invention, what i claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows: 7

l. In a dryer, for use in connection with movably suspended sheet material, having a nozzled casing and blower means, in combination, said blower means including at least one axial blower having its axis substantially centrally of said sheet relative to said casing and perpendicularly to the extension of said material, said blower including two trumpet-shaped walls forming an intake duct for the blower operable to admit the air throughout its circumference radially and to conduct it through an angle of 90 into the direction of said axis, and a difiusor including a plurality of curved annular guides extending downwardly from a region at the exhaust side of the blower and near the hub thereof and so arranged that the air will be blown from near the hub of said blower and be blown into said casing after being conducted outwardly throughout a turn of 90.

2. In a dryer as claimed in claim 1, said casing including a wall facing said material defining a plurality of intake channels spaced from-each other and extending transversely of the direction of movement of said material, the spaces between said channels forming ducts for said nozzles, the distance between the wall and the said material remaining substantially the same and the height or" said intake channels increasing proportionally'from the center of said sheet material towards the side edges 1 thereof.

3. In a dryer as claimedin claim l,'together-with, a curved guide adjacent the entrance opening of each nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

